City of Boulder officials are asking councilmembers to decide next week whether the city should begin the process of closing the Boulder Municipal Airport by 2041. According to a city staff memo published this week, 2041 is the date when the city estimates it will no longer be obligated to keep the airport operating under Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
The decision will be part of a special meeting on July 25, when councilmembers return from their summer break.
The discussion comes after a group of residents gathered enough signatures to place two measures on the November ballot dealing with the airport. One measure would close the airport “as soon as reasonably feasible,” while the other would repurpose the land to create a neighborhood.
The Boulder Municipal Airport began as a dirt landing strip in 1928 in the city’s northeast corner. It is used primarily by private pilots, trainees, glider pilots and scientific researchers. Residents who want to close the airport cite noise and potential lead pollution as top concerns, while others see the airport as a valuable community asset and revenue generator.
The airport sits on approximately 176 acres of land. City officials estimate it would cost $118 million in 2041 dollars to pay back the Federal Aviation Administration for about 38 acres of land the city acquired using federal grants, according to the memo.
However, it appears the city could make back that money and more if it were to sell the land to developers. The airport land would be valued at about $550 million in 2041 dollars, according to the memo. That said, the city has not conducted an analysis on how much it would cost to remediate the site for future use. Such remediation work could include cleaning up lead contamination caused by piston-engine aircraft emissions.
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that next week’s city council meeting would be a study session. It will be a special meeting, which is similar to a regular council meeting.
AHA! There’s the real impetus for closing the airport: “Sell the land to developers.” I would hate to see 2024 voters force the city to make a commitment to action to be taken almost a generation away. Let’s focus on today’s needs and issues. By 2041 Boulder may be a town with outdated businesses and depleted resources; not the current developers’ dream town. Private planes may be a thing of the past. Let’s not get enticed into a decision based only on today’s facts—-and wants. Patience is a virtue much to be admired—especially in politicians.
Democrats love to kick the can down the road, so this isn’t entirely surprising. With that said, 15+ more years of all this BDU / FAA nonsense is not acceptable.
Also, when did it become a foregone conclusion that the FAA and a handful of local pilots polluted the site so badly that we need to now pay for toxic remediation at the site?
Imagine what kind of stewards of city land they’ll be knowing the end is in sight.
The analysis in this article leaves out the fact that the Boulder Airport contributes about $60M/year to the Boulder economy currently. A planned closure will start to reduce that impact over time, so from an economic standpoint alone, closing the airport would be a bad trade for the city. That is in addition to losing an important asset for the citizens of Boulder, and Boulder County in terms of emergency response, STEM education opportunities, and so many more elements that make Boulder a great city. Closing the airport would be just one more part of Boulder losing its personality and becoming a housing suburb of Denver. Yuck.
One time-tested strategy to make a town more affordable is to remove the things that make it interesting and unique.